Maritime speaker: Brave men served as 'life-savers' during 1913 cyclonic blizzard

Maritime historian Frederick Stonehouse was the guest speaker at the monthly Door County Maritime Museum's maritime speakers series program on Dec. 6 in Sturgeon Bay. The author of 30 books, Stonehouse's topic was "U.S. Life-Saving Service on the Great Lakes.''(Photo: Tina M. Gohr/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)Buy Photo

STURGEON BAY - The Door County Maritime Museum’s maritime speakers’ series program reached to the top of its shelf when it hosted Great Lakes historian Frederick Stonehouse, the author of 30 maritime books, on Dec. 6.

Stonehouse, of Marquette, Michigan, who lectures on maritime history at Northern Michigan University, is driven by the passion to chronicle the stories of the brave men of the U.S. Life-Saving Service, or "USLSS" for short. And it showed.

“Anytime you have an opportunity to really examine the courage of the men is very uplifting,’’ he said, adding “we as a people are capable of pure and unbridled courage. To me, it is awe-inspiring.’’

One of the chosen tales unfolded during a howling cyclonic blizzard from Nov. 6 to 13, 1913. A “perfect storm’’ was evolving after two low pressures merged in the upper Great Lakes. The mighty storm was dubbed the “White Hurricane of 1913’’ due to its 90 mph winds and whiteout conditions. The storm’s wrath was the deadliest and most destructive natural disaster to hit the lakes in recorded history. It sank 19 ships and stranded 19 vessels.

A couple of the stranded ships were the “L.C. Waldo” and “Mataafuu” off the Keweenaw Peninsula on Lake Superior.

The freighter Waldo was destined with a load of iron ore to Sault Ste. Marie.

“A tremendous wave curls over the top and takes out the pilot house,’’ said Stonehouse. At the storm’s height there were 35-foot storm surges. The “L.C. Waldo’’ is stranded near Manitou Island at the peninsula’s tip and the nearest USLSS is 15 miles away in Eagle Harbor. In the blizzard, walking to alert Life-Saving Service members made the most sense, however, it took hours to respond to any craft in distress in this horrific storm. The nearby bulk carrier “Turret Chief’’ also hit a reef.

The Life-Savers lived each day by this motto: Regulations say we have to go, they say nothing about coming back.

The Life-Saving captain did not decide who was on the crew. “This was not Civil Service,’’ said Stonehouse. “You hired people you believed in,’’ he stressed, explaining “You hired a neighbor, your nephew, your cousin, you hired the guy who lived across the street,’’ he said. “Only if you trusted him. And you trusted him not to give up.’’

The Washington Island and Plum Island Life-Saving Service Stations were also called to assist the “Louisiana’’ and the “Halsted’’ at the tip of the Door County Peninsula.

Ice had to be chipped from the sailors warmed by beach fires, but nobody lost their lives during the big storm aboard the “L.C. Waldo,’’ “Mataafuu,’’ “Turret Chief,’’ “Louisiana,’’ or the “Halsted.’’

There were 250 others who did not make it that week. The proof of her massive fury was worst in Lake Huron.

A couple years later, the USLSS became the United States Coast Guard. From 1874 to 1915, the USLSS is credited with rescuing more than 55,000 people on the Great Lakes.

Stonehouse is the founding board member and past president of U.S. Life-Saving Heritage Association. Among his books are regional favorites such as the “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.’’ His best seller is the “Wreck Ashore,’’ based on the USLSS. Stonehouse has also been an “on-air’’ expert for National Geographic, History Channel and Fox Family.

“He has such great historical knowledge and provides depth of character in the stories. These were tough people,’’ said audience member Frank Christensen of Sturgeon Bay.